Quick to the Hunt

by Cameron Dane

  PRAISE FOR CAMERON DANE

  “…Cameron Dane is an author of many talents, but QUICK TO THE HUNT is undoubtably her most powerful book to date…the most emotionally engaging book I’ve read this year…made me cry, smile, and read late into the night…I couldn’t be more satisfied…”

  -- Lily from Romance Junkies, a 5 blue ribbons review (for Quick to the Hunt)

  “…Cameron Dane is a master at creating characters who grab your heart in such a way that you cannot stop reading until they find happiness…”

  -- Shayna, from Joyfully Reviewed (Dreaming in Color)

  “…Cameron Dane has done it again…riveting story… I eagerly await each and every offering from this fantastic author.”

  -- Hayley from Fallen Angel Reviews, a 5 Angel *Recommended Read* (A Fostered Love)

  “…Wow, Wow, and Wow!...one of the hottest books I have read in a long time…highly recommend…not only a hot read, but also a sweet emotionally charge story between two equally sexy, hot men…”

  --Sandra's The Romance Studio's 5 heart review (ReneCade)

  QUICK TO THE HUNT

  Copyright © 2011 by Cameron Dane

  Originally released in e-book format by Loose Id in July of 2011

  Cover Art by April Martinez

  Edited by G.G. Royale

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.

  This is a work of fiction. The characters, incidents and dialogues in this book are of the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is completely coincidental.

  CONTENT NOTE

  This is a male/male pairing erotic romance novel and contains adult language and explicit descriptions of sex. This book contains aggressive sex between consenting adults. This book contains scenes of violence. This book is for adults only. Please keep this ebook file away from children under 18 years of age.

  GENERAL DISCLAIMER: This is a work of romantic erotic fiction meant to entertain and offer escape. Any practices within the pages including, but not limited to, any sexual play involving unprotected sex, anal sex, sex toys, foreign objects, spanking, biting, whips, binding, wax play, or acts of violence or assault are not advocated or encouraged. Please research the tools for safe sex and consult a professional before engaging in acts of BDSM.

  QUICK TO THE HUNT

  by

  CAMERON DANE

  PROLOGUE

  MARCH

  Hunter Tennison had come home at last. Sitting in the kitchen of the house in Quinten, Montana, where he’d grown up, he now listened to his sister, Sarah, and best friend, Jace, catch him up not only on the many changes in town during his time overseas, but also on their new relationship -- that happened to include another man.

  All the while, Hunter gave the appearance of slouching back in a relaxed state, grinning in all the right places and contributing here and there when appropriate. Only, on the inside, Hunter silently battled the brewing of a clawing, violent storm, churning with its determination to erupt.

  The revelation of Sarah having two men in her life didn’t create the chaos within -- although Hunter intended to do his damnedest never to picture the three of them behind closed doors. No brother ever wanted to think about his baby sister with one boyfriend, let alone two, even if Hunter happened to know Jace was one of the finest men on the planet and would protect Sarah with his life. In addition to that, Sarah had written enough about the other guy, a young cowboy named Jasper, for Hunter to believe him a good man too. Didn’t change the erratic pounding in Hunter’s heart or his desire to tear through something -- object or person -- to stifle the storm inside him. Just the opposite. The happier and more animated Sarah got, the harder it became for Hunter to maintain his calm facade.

  Hunter could feel the screams pushing their way up his esophagus to do battle against the tingling in his hands to punch holes in walls or tear doors off cabinets. Once started, neither would stop.

  I have to get out of here now.

  Breathing, breathing, nice and even, Hunter pushed upright and stood. “I apologize for cutting you off, Sis.” His voice only scratched a little bit. Thank God some emotion was called for during a reunion, and neither Sarah nor Jace would think it amiss. “But I’ve had a long twenty-four hours of driving to get here, and I’m more tired than I thought I was.” He put a hand over his mouth and feigned a yawn and stretch. “I think I’m gonna go to the motel and take a nap.”

  Sarah bolted out of her chair and rounded the table to him. “Are you sure you want to stay at a motel?” She took hold of his hands, bandaged one with fingers missing and all. Her misty stare pushed more tinder onto the ball of fire burning in Hunter’s gut. “Your old room is ready for you. We keep it clean.”

  Every ounce of concern radiating off Sarah, not to mention Jace in the background, spurred Hunter to run even faster. Gotta get away.

  Beads of sweat pearled under Hunter’s long-sleeved flannel shirt. “I’ve been bunking with other people for too long,” he reminded his sister. “Now I prefer solitude and my own space to breathe.” At least that was the truth.

  “Right,” Sarah replied. Hunter watched her deflate. Then, so like the Sarah he remembered, she regained her smile and pushed her shoulders back. “I guess I understand that. I said we wouldn’t push.” She squeezed his hands, using the connection to pull him into an embrace. As she slid her arms around his shoulders, hugging him so sweetly it cut Hunter up inside, she rose up and whispered in his ear, “I meant that, Hunter. We’re just happy to have you safe and home.” He could hear the tears in her voice, and it made the swell of emotion inside him so much worse. “I missed you so much.”

  His voice catching, Hunter muttered back, “I missed you more than you can know too. I love you, Sis.” Barely getting that admission out without cracking, Hunter pecked a fast kiss high on Sarah’s cheek. “Talk to you soon.” He gave himself a second to clasp Jace’s hand in a firm shake and say good-bye before hightailing it out of the house and onto the porch.

  Hunter stumbled down the steps into blinding rays of sunlight. The smell of fresh-cut grass, damp earth, and hints of early blooming flowers assaulted his nose, reminding him of all the wonderful things about settling down in one place and reclaiming a piece of land to call home. This attack on Hunter’s senses combined itself with seeing his sister and best friend again -- along with the home that had a thousand happy memories and one soul-ripping, horrible one -- and had Hunter chanting keep it cool, keep it cool, keep it cool in his head as he ran down the walk toward the gate and his car beyond.

  He pushed out of the gate and onto the sidewalk, his focus on the object weighing in his right pocket, nearing freedom and a place to use it. Suddenly he barreled into a solid something right in his path, umphing as two bodies collided.

  Hands grasped Hunter’s arms, steadying him with a strong grip. “Whoa.” A deep, rich voice, smooth as the strongest bourbon, thickened the crisp spring air. “You’re going about a hundred miles a minute in a strolling-only zone. Are you okay?”

  The firm hold on Hunter only added to the chaos building inside him; he jerked away. Automatically rubbing his arms, he instinctually feared this person could feel the damage hidden beneath his clothing. Hunter looked up, intending to apologize and then get the hell away. A deep green gaze waited for him, along with a lopsided smile that punched Hunter in the gut. Short, neat blond hair, chiseled cheekbones and jaw that would make any man envious, the man who stood a foot away from Hunter stirred at the volatile pot within Hunter already bubbling too
hot. The guy had a tall, tight runner’s body that spoke to everything inside Hunter that responded to other men, when right now Hunter had no place in his life for even the hint of sexual attraction to exist.

  Open concern turned the blond’s eyes to the richest forest colors found hidden deep in the Montana mountains. “Are you all right, man?” The guy cupped Hunter’s arm again, and the contact flooded Hunter with memories of the last time Will had grabbed hold of him nearly eighteen months ago.

  No. Don’t think about him. Too much. Too much. Too much.

  Licking fingers of chaos edged closer to the surface inside Hunter. He pulled away from this stranger’s touch before it shoved him over the edge, right in front of his childhood home.

  “Yeah, sorry,” Hunter mumbled, dragging his stare away from the curiosity in this man. “I wasn’t looking. I didn’t see you. Sorry.” He tucked his head down, backing away until he bumped into the tail end of his car. “I have to go.”

  Hunter scrambled around to the driver’s side and climbed in. The deeply tinted windows, which usually calmed him a little bit once he was inside his car, didn’t afford the same luxury today. His sister and Jace could walk outside any second. And for some reason, Hunter could fucking feel the eyes of that stranger still watching him. That piercing green gaze assessed him, judged him, and somehow saw all the wrong things living inside Hunter’s mind and mapped all over his body beneath the cover of his clothes.

  Everything within Hunter shouted at him to gun the engine and peel away as fast as his junker of a vehicle could carry him. Instead, against every ounce of adrenaline pushing him, Hunter forced himself to pull away at a sedate pace, fighting the drenching sweat coating his back.

  ALEX WATCHED THE beat-up old car get smaller as it got farther away, disturbed that his hands still tingled with awareness after touching the tall, dark-eyed man with overlong dark hair and facial scruff that pushed well past a five o’clock shadow. The guy’s arms had been rock-solid under his shirt, even if the material had hung a little loose on his frame. His shoulders had the width of someone who’d been thicker all over once upon a time but perhaps an illness had thinned him out some recently. Didn’t matter. One look at the man and Alex had known the stranger had a body that would singe hotter than heated coals as it stroked against another hard male frame. Alex could feel his fingers slipping into the back of the man’s jeans, and he almost moaned as he imagined what that tight ass would feel like against his palms, against his dick as he slid his rigid length between those firm cheeks.

  Whoa. Alex jerked himself back to reality. Back that train up to the station right now.

  Alexander Quick did not fantasize about jumping into bed with every man he found attractive. First, it was simply flat-out stupid to assume another man was gay just because it felt like a spark had arced between them when they’d touched. Second, he not only chose his partners carefully, but he also had his private investigator do a thorough background check to make sure no surprises ever occurred during the time they spent together. Alex never thought so little of himself that he assumed every man who expressed an interest in him was only out for his money, nor was he naive or innocent. Sometimes a man only wanted him for however much he could get while he had Alex’s attention and interest, which was even fine on some occasions, as long as Alex knew what he was getting into before he took the man to bed.

  Beyond the practicality of Alex’s approach to bed partners, one word had come to his mind when looking into the eyes of that sexy stranger: lost. And Alex did not do rescues. He did not need a puppy. He was past the age of saving another person, but even if he weren’t, he had far too much on his plate right now and didn’t need the distraction of a man. Alex had property he was oh so very close to acquiring, and when he did, he had houses to build.

  Which was why he was here. He had his Quinten tour guide to thank. All of her hard work would soon pay off for him, and Alex never forgot or left behind the people who helped him grow his business.

  Alex turned to stride up Sarah’s walkway when the very woman herself burst out through her front door. Big, overpowering Jace followed at a steadier pace.

  “Alex. Hi.” Sarah traipsed down the steps to his side, her flight looking as if she moved on air. “Did you meet my brother? Shoot.” Her glance strayed down the road. “I saw you from the window and was hoping to get out here before he left.”

  What the fuck? Alex stared down the empty street, his stomach clenching for all new reasons. “That was Hunter?” Shit. Sarah was actually very quiet and reserved regarding the information she shared about her brother, but Hunter was one of three men whose names were spoken around town with a combination of worry and pride. He was one of the people who made the many men and women fighting in the Middle East real to this community. It seemed every family in Quinten had taken the men into their hearts and families.

  I’ve only known one other man people called a hero.

  Alex’s chest swelled with ridiculous love as he thought about Mack.

  “Yep, that was Hunter,” Sarah replied. “Can you believe it? He’s home. And he says he’s staying for good.” As fresh and open as anything Alex had ever seen, Sarah couldn’t seem to remain still. Her bare feet were damp with flecks of moist earth, and her long, dark hair lifted in the gentle breeze.

  Now that Alex looked more closely, he could see the resemblance between Sarah and the man who’d just run into him. The deep brown eyes were the same color, and they tilted slightly upward at the edges in the same manner too; both also had a similar shape to their mouths, a shared symmetry between the upper and lower lips that was unique. Only these eyes before Alex now danced with light and laughter, while the others had burned with darkness. This mouth was turned upward, while the other had been set in a line that had matched the tightness Alex had felt in their brief moments of contact.

  What was that all about? That man Alex had collided with had not been jubilant and had not possessed an ounce of the excitement Sarah clearly could not contain. Why? No. Don’t ask. Don’t kill her joy. You have no right.

  Leaning in, Alex gave his new friend a quick hug. “I’m happy for you, Sarah.” A series of small cuts on her cheek reminded him her last few days had been extremely difficult and frightening. Caught in a maniac’s attempt to flee Quinten, Sarah had been briefly turned into a human shield. “And I’m glad you’re okay too.” He fingered the little nicks on her face.

  In an instant, Jace moved in behind Sarah. His pale jade gaze turned downright icy. He slipped his arm around Sarah’s waist and tugged her to his chest. “Quick.” He bit that greeting out through clenched teeth.

  Alex swallowed down his laugh. “Come on, Deputy.” God, he’d told the man he was gay. What more did the guy need to hear? “I thought we’d gotten to the point where you were going to start calling me Alex.”

  “Maybe when you stop touching my woman so freely, I will,” Jace said with a growl.

  Sarah rolled her eyes but also smiled. “Forgive him.” She rubbed Jace’s forearm, and Alex swore he could see Jace’s hackles settle. “He’s had a fright.”

  Simultaneously Jace uttered, “A fright, woman?” as if Sarah had grievously insulted him, at the same time Alex answered, “I know.”

  It hadn’t taken two minutes of their first meeting for Alex to see Jace was completely in love with Sarah. At the time, he’d also seen the clear commitment Sarah and Jasper had between them. What Alex hadn’t deciphered was Jace and Jasper’s attraction to each other, in addition to Sarah’s love for both men, binding them all together. That had thrown the whole town for a loop. For Alex it was refreshing to know he could still be surprised in this world. Until seeing the three of them together, he hadn’t realized just how jaded and detached he’d become. Especially about relationships.

  Maybe that’s why you haven’t had one in over a year.

  “Do you have good news?” Sarah asked, her excitement drawing Alex back into the moment. “Did you get agreements from everyone
to sell?”

  Alex had come to Quinten to buy three small ranches that butted up against one another just outside of town. “Indeed I did. That’s why I’m here.” He couldn’t help standing up a little straighter or from keeping the smile off his face. “Compton, Michaels, and Sandavow have all agreed to my offers. We’ll sign the contracts next week.”

  “Congratulations!” Breaking from Jace, Sarah lifted her arms in victory and gave Alex a fast hug. “I can’t wait to see the beautiful homes you create.”

  Jace actually stepped forward and held out his hand. “Congratulations, Quick.”

  “Thank you.” The pleasure in Sarah and then the firm handshake from Jace filled Alex with a swift flood of warmth and affection, something he never let invade his work. What the hell? He could and often was affable -- being easy around people was part of what made him so successful at his job -- but business was still just that -- business. You’re adding to your empire, not looking for a best friend. Get your focus back.

  Shaking himself mentally, Alex put his attention on Sarah. “Now I just need you to tell me what you want for your commission. Name it and it’s yours.”

  Sarah lifted her hands out in front of her and even took a step backward. “No. I don’t want a gift.” Her brows pulled, creating furrow lines above her nose. “I didn’t do anything.”

  “You damn well did,” Alex argued. “I wouldn’t have acquired this land so fast without you.” Inside his pocket right then, vibrations hummed against his thigh, indicating a phone call. “Start thinking about it,” he added as he stepped away. “I’ll be right back.”

  With his mind still on Sarah, and even Jace, Alex didn’t bother to check the screen for a name before answering the phone. “Hello. Alexander Quick speaking,” he automatically said, putting a finger to his ear as a pickup truck gunned to life across the street.